[Gpdd] Health: Diarrhea in Sooty all the time (for years now)

[Sandra Oliver-Poore]

Dear Juwles, you are no lurker you ore our beloved Julie.  About Sooty then,
poor dear boy!   First: Don't give him Imodium unless Ann comes back with an
OK, I think she may have oked it but I want to hear it from her.  Instead
try the old version of kaopectate, the kind with that kaolin clay stuff that
tastes icky and reminds me of the worst parts of my childhood.  Also don't
use the pink stuff with bismuth in it. Pepto Bismol. Check out guinea lynx
they are good on subjects like this. Al please keep his pellets and hay
available off the ground all the time as piggies grazers and eat 24 hours a
day with short breaks for naps. 

Now the cause.  We must consider the fact that your gang lives on a farm
with all kinds of animals including the darling chooks and that your entire
town was nearly washed away by that wretched typhoon. You had water up the
steps and the muck from the different animals covered everything.
Afterwards you had terrible outbreaks of coccidosis and all sorts of
intestinal upheavals. So is everyone but Sooty recovered by now?  I assume
he alone as he is such a mess. Best really to quarantine an animal with his
symptoms. It still possible he just hasn't been able to clear the parasites!
See if maybe Granny Glynis will split the meds with you since the tiny
bottles last so long.

But then some piggies suffer from IBS just like their humans, that's
irritable bowel syndrome, pops up in teen hood in humans; however, the
nature of that condition is to get better, or go into remission at times,
maybe not long times but it's just not always the same.  This makes it ever
harder to distinguish from the parasitic causes. Or long term damage to the
villae as you mention.

So,  is he up to date on his anti- parasite meds?  He needs the protocol on
an ongoing basis with a  set of startup doses t to get started again per our
dear friend Ann Evan's protocol where she spells out in detail on her
website with Ivermectin and Panacur or Valbazen. Go to her web page for full
instructions.  It's http://www.piggyville.com/index.php?id=9.  She further
says that parasites are the number one cause of pain, disease and death in
cavies. 
All cavies starting at 3 months of age should be wormed every 3 months. End
quote all copyrighted.  Check out her Piggyville website.

Another thing that can slow down the gut is plain ole narcotics, but he
mustn't have ones with Tylenol or NSAID in them, just pure narcotics. The
Tylenol (called something else in the UK) but there was a recent scandal
about it causing asthma in kids (somebody help me here)  He can have the one
with Advil or other NSAID up to the recommended dose for piggies 

Last thing  Diet!!I think he is getting way too many veggies. Way too much
water in them. He needs pellets, hay and grass. I don't think he will allow
himself to starve. Piggies in the wild graze on grassy things, anything that
grows up to 6 inches off the ground.  I would continue to force feed the
Critical Care or Critter-B-Better as both have probiotics and will help
reestablish his gut flora, which must be way out of whack now and could the
basis for his problem. So just do it and stick with it.  Make sure he has a
good quality hay available at all times, some alfalfa is ok plus grass and
Timothy hay even oats, wheat, an barley mixed in.  Just retrain him,  keep
track of his weight and remember to keep more water available in cage as he
will need more once his diet is corrected.  I honestly don't see how these
watery veggies are going to help him at all long term. I think it's harmful,
especially as he gets some sweet ones like carrots and berries et. Piggies
graze in high desert  mountains on stuff that grows naturally close to the
ground, some grasses and dried hays, that's what he needs,  just make sure
he gets his Vit C. 

Psyllium husks will  add bulk I don't think it will bind food but his
natural diet, you might add a bit of unsweetened cooked oatmeal but it will
absorb water and since he doesn't drink too much now be careful.

Let us know what helps  Little Sooty does. I will look forward to hearing
ideas from Penny and Ann and the rest of the gang,
Good luck  Sandy Sammy and Algernon Rat